In the post, Andrews talks about the CPD’s low morale and lack of staffing and leadership. He also criticizes the promotion of a police officer. This seems to be the particular passage that caused the most consternation:

A recent example of alleged political corruption ties to top tier leadership in the Chicago Police Department.

While Superintendent Jody Weis recently appointed Lieutenant Anthony Carothers to Commander of the Englewood District, his appointment has been received by the rank & file with utter disdain. They and some city residents call the appointment of Carothers a true lack of ethical consideration by the Superintendent.

Interestingly, the newly appointed Commander Anthony Carothers is the brother of Isaac Carothers, the Chicago Alderman recently convicted on charges of public corruption in Federal Court. Ironically, their father, William Carothers, also served as a Chicago Alderman until his conviction on public corruption charges in 1983.

The Chicago Tribune quotes Professor Sheldon Nahmod of Chicago-Kent College of Law as saying that there is “a serious First Amendment issue here,” and that the law should shield Andrews from discipline as long as he is writing as a public citizen out of public concern and not just airing a personal gripe.

Nahmod said that Andrews “was griping about the morale of the Police Department in general, the support it’s getting from its supervisors, superiors and from politicians, and that’s not the same thing as a personal gripe,” in the Trib’s quote.

Gawker Media has settled a defamation lawsuit with Confederate Motors over a post on its Jalopnik blog. Online Media Daily reports Gawker bailed out by deleting the post and issuing a correction, with no money being paid as part of the settlement. Gawker COO Gaby Darbyshire said the case was settled “because it was too trivial an issue to take to court,” adding that “[o]ne must pick one’s battles.”

The allegedly defamatory statement that passed the judge’s early scrutiny was that “Last we heard the Alabama-based company was being sued so heavily in state courts by disgruntled owners that they were unable to do business [in New York.]”

Gawker Media has backed off that representation with their correction.